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Lightning strike causes new Middle Bench Fire on Tuesday

Fire crews from throughout the Southern Utah area continue to fight 54 fires in the Color Country District on Tuesday. However, recent rainfall has helped crews increase the containment of these fires.

ST. GEORGE – A new lightning-caused fire named the Middle Bench Fire developed 70 miles southwest of St. George in the Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness at 2 p.m. Tuesday and burned approximately 150 acres in just a few hours.

According to an interagency news release comprised of the Arizona Bureau of Land Management; Dixie National Forest; Utah, Forestry, Fire and State Lands; Utah BLM; Zion and Bryce National Parks; and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the fire is within the Arizona Strip District in a remote location.

“Due to the remote location of this fire, access to the fire is by air only,” Rachel Tueller, Middle Bench Fire Information Officer, said.

Five single-engine air tankers, one heavy air tanker, one Type-3 helicopter Moki Helitack, one tactical water tender and eight smoke jumpers were battling the fire Tuesday afternoon.

Fifty-three other fires continued to burn in the Color Country District on Tuesday, but as rain showers continue to fall, fire crews are slowly being sent home.

The MGC Complex Fire — made up of the Middle Ridge, Cottonwood and Greek Peak fires — spreads through Nevada and Utah. As of Monday night, 10,343 acres had burned. The largest of the three fires, the Middle Ridge Fire, burned 10,304 alone, but it is now 60 percent contained, according to a news release from the Great Basin Incident Management Team 4.

The Cottonwood Fire was 80 percent contained with 1,127 acres, and the Greek Peak Fire was 95 percent contained with 761 acres as of Monday night.

“The Middle Ridge, Cottonwood and Greek Peak Fires all received precipitation again (Monday) as another strong monsoonal system pushed up from the southwest,” wrote Jesse Bender, acting assistant center manager for the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center. “A weather station near Enterprise, Utah, recorded nearly 1/2 inches of rain over the course of the afternoon.”

Bender said although the rainfall is a welcome aid for firefighters, it creates a potential flood hazard.

“We’ve seen mud sliding around,” Bender said. “It will continue to be a potential hazard through the summer and fall too.”

Bender said the “vast majority” of crews working on the MGC Complex Fire are expected to return home on Wednesday.

The Gulch Fire also continues to burn in the BLM Arizona Strip District, approximately 17 miles south of St. George.

According to a BLM news release, the lightning-caused fire is 352 acres as of Tuesday afternoon and continues to smolder.

“Management of the Gulch Fire transitioned from a Type 3 team back to the local unit (on) July 7, 2014,” according to the BLM news release. “All resources have been released with one Type 4 engine remaining on the fire.”

For updated information on current fires in Utah, visit UtahFireInfo.org.